How Do You See Me
by OtakuWolfEru
Summary: I've always really been interested in a Toph/Zuko thing, so here goes...rated T just to be safe! And please enjoy...this is my first story!
1. Chapter 1

How Do You See Me

_This is my first story, **AND IS ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEEN THE ENTIRE AVATAR SERIES OR WHO DON'T MIND MAJOR SPOILERS **so please bear with me. I think it's good...and I've always been interested in a Zuko/Toph fanfic. Enjoy, and comment, comment, rate, rate! This is from the perspective of Firelord Zuko (wah big spoiler there)_

Toph...

I'd known her for awhile now, but she was becoming even more special then ever.

Mei and I had our rough spots and we decided it was best to never see each other again. She was getting all hot-headed about this "Me being the Firelord" thing, and I was way too mad. Katara, my original beloved one (a secret like the many I kept from Mei), had never complained or had been conceited being Aang's girlfriend.

So that day, in that hot month of July, I sat down on the cliff-side next to our camp site (because Team Avatar was camping together) and called Toph over. "Toph!" I yelled, waving. Not like she could see the wave, but unlike Sokka and Suki, I pretended that Toph could see me. She would've looked at my face in scorn and hatred, yet I would just shrug it off like I do every comment about the huge, hideous scar on the right side of my face.

"What's up, Zu Zu?" Toph tossed her short, black hair and laughed at the nickname my sister Azula had given me. "You want a rematch? Or maybe we could team up and fight against Aang. I still haven't taken that life-changing journey with you, but I know you've been dying to fight him since that 'regaining my honor' thing." She snickered as she mocked my deep, scratchy voice.

"Actually...I just wanted to have a conversation," she raised an eyebrow at my choosing of words. "I-i-it's not about anything much. I wanted to know something. About your...blindness-"

"If you're trying to make fun of me, just stop talking and get away from me!" Toph shivered as a tear ran down her cheek. "I've been holding this all in, but...I saw how you and Mei used to laugh at me, and how Sokka and Suki just treat me like a cripple! I've got feelings too, and I...I...and I..." She broke down into sobs, and ran towards Katara at the camp site. Toph hugged Katara and she looked over at me with a questioning look. I didn't say anything and shrugged.

_How could Toph think I don't get being treated like this? I have a scar that my own father gave me! How could she be so ignorant-wait. That's right. She's blind. _I smacked my head in agony and guilt.

"Zuko...what happened back there?" it was Aang's voice, with Katara following right behind him.

"Toph's never actually showed affection towards me before." Katara sat down to the right of me and Aang to my left. "What did you do wrong?"

"I asked her about her blindness. I just wanted to know...ugh! It was nothing, okay? Just simple questions. She can just be so...difficult!" I gripped my robe as fire started coming from my hands, scorching the fine fabric.

Katara quickly dowsed my fire with the water she was carrying. "I know what you mean. Trust me." We all sighed simultaneously.

"I guess I should go get her. I'll tell her you won't give her a hard time. I am the Avatar, after all. Peace is my thing." As the words escaped Aang's mouth, I turned to see a giant rock shelter being made and I saw Toph's body inside. "I heard what you said, twinkle toes!"

Maybe I was wrong, but I thought I heard a smile in Toph's voice. I would just have to talk to her tomorrow, and bring up the question that had been on my mind since the day I met Toph:

"How do you see me?"

_That was reallyyyy short but I still love it! So please rate and comment and message me for any suggestions/CONSTRUCTIVE criticism._


	2. Chapter 2: The Question

How Do You See Me Chapter 2

The Question

The next day, as I awoke to a bright and happy Sokka screaming my name, I realized what had happened last night. _She is so sensitive._ I thought as I smiled.

"Zuko? HELLO?" I could hear Sokka's voice from outside the tent, ruining my daydream. "I'm coming!" I groggily said as I dressed and ran out of the tent.

"Twenty fire-squats, Zuko! Come on! You've got to keep up that shape if you wanna be a good Firelord!" I saw Katara and Aang squatting in the water below the cliff side. Toph was nowhere to be seen, but I could understand that. Being talked to about the most difficult subject in the entire world...that's hard. Whenever someone mentions my father...the dirty traitor who gave me the ugly scar on my face...it's hard not to scream and brutally attack the nearest person to you. Even though my fire bending is no longer controlled by rage (thanks to the Sun Warriors) I still generate fire out of pure anger and fury because of my father's haunting image. Sometimes I'd stay awake long hours into the night, wondering how different my life would be if I had killed the Avatar. I had the perfect chance, once I said that I wanted to join their group, I could have blasted Aang to pieces then and there. Only thing is...Katara would've completely vaporized me, Toph would've stoned me, and to make himself feel better, Sokka would've slapped my dead, rotting corpse in the face with his boomerang a couple times. Oh, how I love Team Avatar.

After I avoided doing fire-squats, Aang and Sokka pulled us together for a group meeting to disscuss plans for the future. Now that the world was completely at peace (or at least we thought it was) , we should deserve a break. Unfortunately, Sokka had other plans.

"You know that big drill that's still in the wall of Ba Sing Se?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Well, The Duke said he could take his friends from the Freedom Fighters and-"

"Jet's alive?" Katara almost screamed in pure excitement.

"No. Jet was hit by a big rock and died." As Katara's face lowered, Sokka continued. "Anyway, The Duke and Pipsqueak wanted to get the Freedom Fighters and have them help dig out the wall. Turns out, they have many, many benders. Most are of the Earth Kingdom, but they recently let a new Fire Nation girl join. Could you maybe teach her, Zuko? We need to free the wall!"

"Uh...yeah! Sure!" I was almost asleep. "But, uh...where's Toph? I didn't see her leave."

Aang, Katara, and Sokka looked at each other sheepishly and Katara began to speak. "She...uh...went to...the...um... library! Yeah!" they all nodded.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, okay, okay. You see, Toph was really upset about what you said to her, so she went to the forest, just beyond those rocks." Aang pointed towards the beach rocks about a mile away that were jutting out of the ground in a most peculiar fashion. As if they were man-made...

"Well, just tell me when we need to leave. I'll get Toph, I guess," I started running towards the rocks on the other side of the water.

"Toph? Are you in here?" I said as I peeked through a crack in the rock tent.

All I heard was a growl and an answer of, "No one's home! Go away!" a voice that was unmistakeably Toph's.

"It's Zuko. Well, you probably already know that, because I've been chasing you around, and I wanted to apologize," Wow, I was really running my mouth today.

"Super deja-vu," Toph commented as the tent slowly disintegrated. "I know you want to apologize, and as much as I hate to say it, I accept your apology. Now, what did you want to say about my...my...my..."

"Disability."

"Yeah."

"I just wanted to ask...can you see people's faces, or only where they are? Or both?" I shifted uncomfortably towards her on the sand.

"Only where they are. I wish I could see your face, and Aang's face, and Katara's, and Sokka's, but...I can't. I only know what you've talked about, like about each others physical appearances." She tossed a rock in the air and played with the broken shells around her feet.

"Then I have a question. If you don't want to answer, that's okay, I mean, it's a touchy subject for you, and I understand because of my fa-"

"Just spit it out already!" She punched me in the arm.

"Here goes," I whispered to myself. "Toph...how do you see me?"  
"I...I see that you're...you're...nice, I guess. Sincere. Down to earth." She smiled at her own joke while bending a big rock and throwing it across the ocean.

"I meant physically, but, thanks...?" We shifted away from each other to hopefully erase any awkwardness. It didn't work.

"You have long-ish black hair, you're kinda tall...and you're the Firelord. Very regal."

"Do you know about my face?" I asked. Her smile faded. "What, you have perfect complexion?"

"I meant my scar."

"I didn't know about that."

"Well...I was in the royal war-planning room, and we were talking about invading some nearby Earth Kingdom towns, you know, expanding the nation. I spoke out of turn, saying that I thought it was a stupid idea. I, of course, was wrong in my father's eyes. He kicked me out of the room.

Later, I received a message, saying that someone challenged me to an Agoni-Kai, which is pretty much hand-to-hand combat. I thought it must've been my sister, seeing that she took every chance to try to embarrass me infront of our father. So I took the fight, and walked into the throne room, ready to impress my father with the new fire-bending techniques Uncle had taught me.

I walked into the deep, hollow room to see only my father, Firelord Ozai, standing, dressed for a fight. He said to me 'Prince Zuko, it is time for you to learn a valuble lesson!' and as he said those words, the father I had always admired struck me on the eye with the most powerful fire I had ever seen. And he said 'Son, you have embarrassed me and the entire royal family. You are now banished from my kingdom, until you can find me...the Avatar!' and then the crazy chase began."

"I'm so sorry..." Toph mumbled.

A tear from the horrible memory ran down my cheek. "Is it that bad?" She asked.

I took a deep breath and grabbed Toph's hand. She struggled, but then I put it on the rough skin of my scar. Toph mumbled to herself, then she started crying too. "I'm so sorry...and I'm even more sorry you have to see me like this..." She sobbed, trying to run into the forest. But I held on tight, and I said to her, "You don't have to be sorry." And as the words escaped my mouth, I pulled Toph in close and kissed her.

"I can see you as a nice, loving, and caring person." Toph said out of pure shock. "And Zuko...

I love you."


End file.
